


Of Gods, Goddesses and Demigods

by shakiseola



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Demigods, F/F, Hades Game Au, Percy Jackson AU, Soshivelvet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29609184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shakiseola/pseuds/shakiseola
Summary: A series of epic tales about a rowdy bunch of Greek and Roman demigods saving the world one monster at a time.Ongoing: Blood and Darkness-Wendy thought she knew herself quite well. Thirteen, a normal seventh-grader with no friends except for her mom. All that changes as her own suspicions of her heritage come to light and she's suddenly thrusted into the world of halfbloods, monsters, and godly parents.Taeyeon has saved the world once, will she be able to save it once more even when the fates decided to burden her with maintaining the peace of Greek and Roman demigods on the verge of another bloody war?
Relationships: Jung Sooyeon | Jessica/Kim Taeyeon, Park Sooyoung | Joy/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	1. Blood and Darkness 1

“She’s Greek. I’m sure of it.”

The blonde scoffed and said, “How sure are you that she's a godforsaken _Graecus?”_

“I just know,” the Greek demigod replied with confidence, a smirk plastered on her lips.

“Right,” the Roman counterpart drawled, “because instead of a functioning gaydar, you have a _demigod radar_ instead, and suddenly you’re a hundred percent sure she’s Greek now? Sure, Taeyeon.”

“Yah! Stop bringing that back up already! I swear to the _gods_ you looked straight as Tartarus when we first met!” Taeyeon indignantly argued, her face turning red.

“Stop insulting me _and_ Tartarus,” the other girl cooly contended with a flip of her hair, effectively granting Taeyeon a mouthful of blonde locks.

Taeyeon groaned. “When are you ever letting that go?”

“The answer is never, Kim Taeyeon.”

The Greek’s eyebrow hitched up, rapt at the mention of her full name. The other girl liked to do that, intentionally saying names like they didn’t have so much power in them. It astonished Taeyeon, how brave the blonde could be.

“Fine,” Taeyeon all but grumbled. “I have an idea, wanna bet on this?”

“Now we’re talking.” A cheshire smile formed on the blonde’s face and it would have unnerved anyone, but Taeyeon wasn’t just _anyone._ “I bet... that she’s Roman.”

“Oh, she’s definitely Greek.” Taeyeon mirrored the cocky smile.

“What’s the wager this time?”

“What about… you let me take you out on a date once I win?” 

Her smile was practically a grin now. Taeyeon couldn’t help herself, she was probably made up of 40% thunder and lightning, 40% self-assurance, 10% brains and one last 10% for cuteness. Her variables were likely inaccurate but thus was the fate of a child of the ruler of the gods.

“Really sure of yourself, huh?” The Roman wasn’t bothered, already used to this kind of behavior from Taeyeon.

“I’m never wrong, Jessica Jung Sooyeon,” she teased back.

Jessica rolled her eyes so hard, Taeyeon would swear her life on the river Styx that all the shades down at the Underworld probably felt it. Poor shades, poor aunt Hades.

“That’s because you’re insufferable. That’s what you are,” Jessica countered.

Taeyeon could only laugh in amusement.

Thirteen year old Wendy was aware she was being watched. It was hard to ignore the watchful eyes when the two older girls weren’t even hiding the fact that they were blatantly staring and… gossiping about her? Who knew what they were doing, honestly. 

Also because it was practically impossible to miss the fact that the two most popular _and_ infamous high school students of SM High were borderline loitering in the cafeteria. The main problem being that this was the _middle school_ cafeteria. Wendy was pretty sure the seniors had their own food service area.

So Wendy being… _Wendy,_ she ended up overanalyzing.

_Did I wear the wrong uniform again? No, that’s impossible, we only have one standard set of uniforms in this school…_

_Was there something on my face, again?_ She quickly rubbed her face to check. Nope, nothing out of the ordinary there either.

 _Were the seniors here to finally lay her off and deliver the message that she was expelled?_ But it wasn’t her fault she was dyslexic and in turn had the most difficulty with academics. She wasn’t the best, but she still did her best! Couldn’t she get a gold star for that at least?

Goodness, she was starting to sound like she was in the third grade all over again.

And to add to the weirdness, Wendy got the second shock of the day courtesy of a group of girls who suddenly decided that Wendy’s Table of Loneliness was their claim today. There wasn’t anything wrong with sharing a table, honestly. What was _wrong,_ and to the utmost level, was that these gorgeous girls, who wore mini skirts and tied their hair into neat ponytails, selected Wendy’s table out of all the other perfectly functional tables.

Why? Someone tell her _why._ It was called Wendy’s Table of Loneliness for a damn reason.

Nobody but her sat here. Nobody else _wanted_ to sit here with her. Except these cheerleaders, apparently.

Oh gods, they were going to bully her weren’t they? The seventh grader has been privy to witnessing how these girls tormented the lives of beings they considered lesser at school. She’s noticed their targets were mostly men though. The cheerleaders’ tyranny was probably worse than normal because these boys all suddenly dropped out of school and were never seen again. 

Maybe this was how Wendy Son was finally going to die; by the hands of beautiful cheerleaders. On second thought... that didn’t sound too bad actually. If one were to ignore the future brutality of the notion. 

“Uhm, I think you girls have the wrong table?” Wendy gathered enough courage to speak up, which she instantly regretted when all heads suddenly looked her way. _Every. Single. Head._ Wendy nervously swallowed a lump.

“Haven’t you heard of the phrase _‘Sharing is caring’,_ Wendy Son Seungwan?” said Cheerleader #1.

The blood in her veins suddenly turned cold. No one ever called her by her full name. No one else but she and her mom even knew about it. Heck, even the school didn’t bother to do a full background check on her but apparently these very shady girls did. Wendy was terrified of what else they knew.

“H-How do you know my name?” She tried not to stutter, emphasis on _try._

“Why, of course we do, dear. We’ve been watching you for a while now,” Cheerleader #2, with the equally blonde hair, spoke this time.

A nervous giggle bubbled out. “Now why would anyone be interested in boring, old, me?”

Seriously, she’s tried her best not to stand out, not to make any trouble, anything to avoid attention. But this day was truly proving her wrong to various degrees.

“Anyone with keen senses can smell a godling like you from miles away.” Cheerleader #3 sported a wicked grin before continuing, “Even that protective shroud couldn’t hide and suppress the power growing in you, little demigod.”

Every single curse word she could think of was currently speeding through her head in a thousand miles per hour. They said it. They called her that… that _name._ The one word her mom banned in their household. _Too dangerous,_ her mother had warned her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sorry, I think you girls have the wrong person.” 

Wendy scanned her surroundings, trying to look for an easy way out. She had zero ideas on what to do but all she knew was that she had to get away as far as she could from the foursome. _Pronto._

“Ah, ah, ah,” Cheerleader #4 tutted, then was behind her in a blink of an eye. Her uncannily strong hands held onto her shoulders, keeping her in place. “I wouldn’t try to run away if I were you, little godling.”

“B-But…” she wracked her brain for anything useful to help her get away from the predicament. “I uhm… I have to go to class?”

Gods, did she want to just slam her head down onto the table. Smooth, Wendy, really smooth. But almost like a deity heard her, the school bell automatically rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Her sigh of relief was cut short when the hands on her shoulders didn’t budge one bit. She looked up, behind her, and caught the widest inhuman grin on the cheerleader.

Why inhuman, you ask? Because Wendy was pretty sure no normal human being, cheerleader or not, had a whole set of sharp teeth that was currently being directed to her, threatening to keep her in place unless she wanted to feel how sharp they actually were. 

“Not to worry, little one. I don’t think anyone’s going to miss you in class.”

_Damn, way to dismiss my feelings like that._

Wendy gulped unconsciously. Sweat was starting to trickle down from her forehead as little by little, each and every one of the other students vacated the mess hall. Wendy’s never seen this place as deserted as this. 

“What do you want from me?” she finally gathered enough courage to ask.

“Not much.” There was no respite despite the supposedly comforting words. Especially when Cheerleader #1 finished her sentence with “Just your divine blood.”

Another nervous cackle escaped her lungs. “Now why would you want my blood? I’m sure there were other more… tasty other varieties out there…”

“Oh, but don’t you know? The blood of the gods always tasted best, whether half blood or not. Now…” Cheerleader #4 with the razor teeth traced an equally sharp finger down her carotid. “I wonder, what color do you bleed, hmm? Gold, like your godly parent? Or a beautiful, deep red like your mortal mother?”

Wendy was pretty sure she bled red, but she had a feeling it wasn’t something she needed to divulge just yet.

She hissed at the sudden pressure from the cheerleader's knife-like finger, ready to cut open her artery. As she felt the first layer of her skin being incised, a voice suddenly startled everyone in the hall, pausing the other woman’s actions. 

This time, Wendy felt actual relief, because the voice didn’t sound like her obviously non-human companions, this time she was sure the other person was human. Just like her.

“Haven’t any of you… lovely, sort of, I guess, ladies ever heard of sepsis?” The same girl who was eyeing Wendy earlier stood just a few feet away from their table with an attractive smirk in place. _Kim Taeyeon._ “I suggest you ought to cut open humans in a more sterile condition. This is just plain… unsanitary, truthfully speaking.”

All four of the cheerleaders hissed inhumanely, the other girl’s lips just widened into a toothy grin, unbothered. 

“Well, well. Another demigod. What are the odds?” Cheerleader #2 happily announced.

Wait, what? Did she just call the senior a… demigod too? The term didn’t seem to perturb the older girl like she was already too used to it. And that was the moment Wendy knew, everything she read, everything her mother tried to convince her wasn’t real.

_All the stories were true._

“In all honesty? The odds are usually always against me. I still don’t know why the fates hate me so much.” 

“Arrogant demigod, always lacking respect for the deities,” Cheerleader #3 spat.

“Believe me, it would be hard for you to respect something that always seemed so bent on killing you too.”

“Well then, luckily for us, the odds are happily lined up on our side. Prepare, halfblood, your blood is ours too.”

“Now that’s hardly fair. This upcoming standoff is three against two, that’s one person too much,” Taeyeon cutely pouted.

“Did you hit your head or are you just that bad with math? Can’t you see that we’re fou—” 

The cheerleader exploded into a glittery, golden pile of dust before she was even able to finish her sentence. The hands keeping Wendy in place disappeared and she warily turned around. Instead of the scary woman earlier, the form behind her was replaced by a... still scary-looking girl also with blonde hair holding up a silver sword.

“J-Jessica-sunbaenim?” 

“Three now, although your theory that Taeyeon hit her head and is bad at math is actually true too,” Jessica said sarcastically before nodding at Wendy and moving in front of her, effectively protecting the younger girl from the monsters.

“Yah! I successfully distracted these Empousa so you could shadow travel and yet you still insult me like this?” Taeyeon indignantly sputtered.

Jessica just rolled her eyes before successfully dodging the claws from the cheerleader closest to her. Wendy dutifully felt the sensation in her legs finally kick in and immediately ran behind her senior.

 _“Aíma kai skotádi,”_ the curse thoughtlessly came out of Wendy. She once heard her mother say the same phrase long before and for some reason it automatically came to her at this moment.

Taeyeon’s eyes grew wide upon hearing it. “Did you just swear in Greek?” she excitedly asked, almost jumping up and down in place.

“Uhm, yes?” Wendy knew it was Greek. She knew what it translated to perfectly almost as if she could speak the ancient language fluently as well.

_Blood and darkness._

“Called it!” Taeyeon happily whooped at the same moment the monsters advanced into Jessica and Wendy.

Wendy could only step backwards as Jessica parried another attack via razor-blade like claws. 

“Taeyeon! Can you please make yourself useful for once so we can defeat these ugly monsters with the ugliest teeth I’ve ever seen, and move on already?” Jessica barked irritably as she faced all three at once. 

“Who did you call ugly?” chorused all monsters, their voices shrill and high-pitched, before something even more bizarre occurred. 

At first they looked the way they originally were, human cheerleaders, before suddenly shifting into different beasts until finally settling into a woman-like form but with flaming hair, a prosthetic brass leg on the right and a donkey leg for the left. Did she mention they also possessed bat-wings and red glowing eyes? Monsters, in literal form.

The shift didn’t even faze the two seniors, much less Taeyeon.

“Not until you tell me I was right,” Taeyeon stubbornly said. “It’s easy, Sica. Come on, say it.”

“God damn it, Taeyeon!” Jessica cursed as she swung her sword, literally a one-versus-three scenario.

“Then say it!”

Jessica groaned and successfully stabbed the first Empousa right in her gut. Just like the first one, the monster also shattered into a million golden specks. But she was still fighting two against one and Wendy noticed the senior’s breath begin to grow laboured.

“Fine!” Jessica roared. “You’re right,” she all but grumbled.

The admission obviously caught Taeyeon off-hand, rendering her slack-jawed until she finally came back to her senses. In a span of a second, Taeyeon stood right behind the second Empousa, a spear now in-hand, and splitting the monsters’ attention.

“Wow, how’d that taste coming out of your mouth?” Taeyeon still found herself teasing as they each fought off the monsters.

“Like vinegar,” Jessica said with so much venom.

Wendy could only watch in fascination as the two fought side-by-side, back-to-back, in every form. Almost as if they’ve done this a million times. Instead of a battle, Wendy thought it looked more like a dance, sans the ear-splitting screams.

The seniors each had the undivided attention of both monsters. The Empousa momentarily forgetting all about Wendy hiding in a corner. Until one of the Empousa kicked Taeyeon right in the middle with a donkey-leg, rendering Taeyeon to fall flat on her back, her spear rolling off on the floor. Wendy tried to call for Jessica’s help but found the older girl also in a headlock in her own battle.

There was only one way to save Taeyeon and as if on an autopilot, Wendy found herself kicking into action. She speedily got a hold of the spear, oddly comfortable with the weapon, before heading straight for the Empousa. She wasted no time in plunging the bronze rod right into the middle of the Empousa’s back, the monster disappearing before her eyes and revealing the awed look on her senior who was still crouching on the floor.

“Tae!” In a flash of golden hair, the Roman cried and ran into Taeyeon’s open arms.  
Wendy belatedly realized the last Empousa was finally defeated.

“I’m okay,” Taeyeon reassured the other girl, gently patting her head. “I’m okay thanks to the new kid.” Her gaze settled on Wendy with a thankful smile. Wendy could only duck her head bashfully.

After calming down, Jessica sat back up and punched Taeyeon’s shoulder, hard. 

“Ow! What was that for?!” 

“It was your fault you almost died!”

“Hehe, yeah… Sorry about that.” Taeyeon timidly rubbed her nape while smiling fondly at the irate Roman.

The scene made Wendy smile. She could see the closeness of the two seniors. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they possessed a bond stronger than anything she’s ever seen. 

Their small respite gets broken for the second time around when just like a cliche action film, a group of faculty members suddenly barged into the cafeteria, almost unbelievably taking everything in. It was only then that Wendy realized the state the place was in. It looked… well, like a post-battle scene. Chairs strewn everywhere, tables cut into half, scorched walls, you name it. 

“Wendy Son, report to the Principal’s Office, right now,” her History teacher bellowed from the entrance. It was important to note that she didn’t like her too much.

“Blood and darkness…” she swore once more.

A hand was suddenly on her shoulder, specifically Jessica’s. 

“Sunbaenim?”

“We have to go,” she uttered seriously.

“But how, wha—” 

“I sure hope you don’t get motion sickness, Wendy-ssi.” 

Those were the last words she heard from Taeyeon before everything suddenly transformed into darkness and then… nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's the new story I was so excited to start. Chapters get lengthier as the story goes but for now here's the first.
> 
> Can anyone guess their godly parents? Taeyeon is already quite obvious but I wanted to hear what you guys thought for Jessica and Wendy.
> 
> Also, thank you so much for trying this story out! Hope to keep seeing you for the rest of the ride!
> 
> Lastly, Happy Birthday to the sweetest human being on Earth, Wendy Son Seungwan!


	2. Blood and Darkness 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rules and amendments keep a demigod alive.

Son Yejin was a woman with a solid standard of rules she set specifically to— quote and unquote— protect Wendy from danger. Only now did Wendy actually grasp the logic behind every specific statute.

1\. No galavanting in crowded places especially downtown. 

_Just stay in school, honey,_ her mother would usually say. Which wasn’t much of a problem for her anyway. It wasn’t that she hated people per se... it’s just that crowds would always make her feel on edge somehow. Like someone or _something_ always had their eyes on her, watching every move. 

So, like the good daughter she was, she stayed away.

2\. Strictly, no use of cellphones anywhere.

Apparently, Wendy was very sensitive to radiation according to her dearest mother. Even when her curiosity for the certain device struck her young mind, her own fear of not getting sick always won over. On the brighter side, she learned the ancient art of Postal Service at an early age. Then made her first friend via an entertaining sandy-haired delivery man who went by the nickname Dash McSpeedy which was a handful to say every time, but was a welcome sight nevertheless. 

Truth be told, it would probably take a whole scroll to list down all of her mother’s rules. But the last and apparently most important one was this:

21\. Do not fear the dark.

Weird, she knows. Parents usually tell their kids to stay inside after dark, right? But not Son Yejin. Wendy swears that this was the one Yejin Mandate she could actually get behind the most. 

For as long as Wendy could remember, the darkness has always been a safeplace. Like right now, the sole reason she wasn’t freaking out as black shadows enveloped her vision and everything else around her.

 _Darkness is a friend,_ she found herself chanting over and over. Because in all honesty, she did not know what the hell was going on. 

It didn’t take more than five minutes before the shadows trickled away, revealing the light of day once more. Wendy had to blink repeatedly, unaccustomed to the sudden brightness. Sight finally adjusting, she squinted around and realized where they were, the campus parking lot.

Okay, so they somehow teleported from the cafeteria to the parking lot which was like a whole two buildings apart. Alright, not weird or impossible at all. Nope. Oh, who was she trying to fool. 

“Taeyeon, car!” Jessica barked the order from behind. 

Wendy jumped up in surprise, only then realizing the presence of the two older girls. 

“On it!” Her raven-haired senior perkily replied. 

The smaller girl scurried away, dutifully obeying the blonde's order. Taeyeon seemed to be looking for a certain one as she jumped from one vehicle to another until she finally stopped in front of a sleek Porsche sedan. Wendy still dazed and confused, simply followed behind. 

“Really, Tae? Not everything has to be blue!” Jessica exclaimed with her hands akimbo at the blue sedan. 

“It does for me!” Taeyeon argued back, Jessica just rolled her eyes once more. 

Taeyeon then stepped back and unfolded her spear, which by the way, how does she keep doing that?

Now, Wendy has heard all about the notorious stories of this certain duo but she did _not_ expect to witness their rebellion to this extent. Which was Taeyeon using the dull end of her spear to break through the glass window of the expensive-looking car like it was a plastic sheet instead. After clearing the shards, she reached inside to unlock the doors, whooping triumphantly afterwards.

“It’s open, can you get it started?” Taeyeon directed the question at Jessica who just wordlessly entered the driver’s seat.

“Can I?" A scoff. "Who do you think I am, Taengoo-ah?” Jessica quipped then proceeded to wreck the ignition and took out a bunch of wires just to prove her point. 

This was a specific scene Wendy only ever saw in movies. The thirteen year-old stood there, slack-jawed, and unable to do anything else aside from watch her senior attempt to hotwire a car. Until a chorus of shouts boomed from the other end of the parking space. One look at the buildings and Wendy instantly saw the red, angry faces of almost every single faculty member who all easily spotted their small group.

“Uhm, Sunbaenim? I think the teachers found us.”

“Your assumption is correct, Wendy-ssi.” Taeyeon then turned back to the carjacker. “Please tell me you can get that thing started like right now.”

“Will you stop pressuring me,” Jessica replied without looking back up, her brows knotted in concentration.

“I would if our middle school masters weren’t just a few feet away from us right this moment!”

“Wendy Son! Jessica Jung! Taeyeon Kim!" The voices were quite distinct and definitely closing in.

“Sica! Twenty meters!” 

Wendy had to admit, she was starting to feel nervous too. She looked inside the car and saw Jessica twiddling with two wires, trying to get them to spark. Seriously, does that technique even work or was it just a movie myth? 

She wasn’t given a chance to ponder further as Taeyeon shouted in warning once more, “Ten meters!”

Truly just like a cliche film, the car’s engine roared to life and Jessica didn’t miss a beat to command the two other girls to get in quickly. Taeyeon in shotgun and Wendy at the back. Once strapped in, the blonde harshly stepped on the gas pedal, leaving the campus in a trail of dust.

Even from hundreds of meters away, Wendy could still hear their principal’s yells of expletives. She was pretty sure she also heard them shout out her official expulsion which she frankly expected anyway.

-

Taeyeon really should have just forcefully taken the wheel before they took off. Too late, now all she could do was securely strap herself in and practically mold with the car seat if she ever wanted to ensure a sense of safety.

Why, you ask? Because Jessica Jung liked to believe she was a cast member of a Fast & Furious film franchise. Which was a whole ton of bullshit because she was probably the worst driver in the history of human and demigod motorists.

“Sica, watch out!”

“Sica, fire hydrant!”

“Sica, it’s a red light! You’re supposed to stop in a red light!”

“Oh my god, Sica! You almost ran over that old lady!”

“Kim Taeyeon, will you shut up and let me drive!”

There was a slight crackle of thunder just as she uttered her full name once more.

Taeyeon refused to loosen her death grip on the grab handle. “You call this _driving?_ This is what most people call getting us killed!” 

“No, Taeyeon. This is me taking us to safety,” how she said that so calmly, Taeyeon will never understand.

Even without looking, Taeyeon felt the blonde rolling her eyes again. Now Taeyeon knew she could be dramatic at times, but this was far from an overreaction. That was just the level of _bad_ Jessica was in driving. Who the heck thought it was a good idea to issue this girl a driver’s license? Now that she thought about it— wait a fucking minute…

“Yah, Sica. Do you even have a license?!” Taeyeon shrieked, only realizing that important factor now.

“Oh,” was Jessica’s mild reaction. “That old thing? Do demigods even need one?”

A stretch of awkward and crickety silence befell the small space of the car, and was only broken as a loud wail came from the back seat. 

“LET ME OUT!” Wendy cried and thrashed, forgetting she was still buckled down by the seat belt.

Like the sadist Jessica was, she simply clicked on the automatic control, essentially locking all four of the car doors. Taeyeon glanced warily to their driver from hell (literal in a sense) and immediately caught the satisfied smirk that practically translated into: _There is no escape now._

Night incarnate, my ass. Jessica Jung was the _devil incarnate._

The two Greek demigods had no other choice than endure the express trip to death. Of course, not without them making a show of banging on the car windows like they were being kidnapped instead. Needless to say, no one outside paid them attention with the tinted glass and muffled screams. 

“Land!” Taeyeon immediately called out as she got out of the death machine, her legs uncontrollably wobbled. “Oh, how I’ve missed you so,” she said and started to bawl into the soil.

“For the love of Mother Night... why are you so dramatic?” snided Jessica.

Another set of hysterical crying came from the second broken girl who also curled up on the ground. “Eomma!” Wendy sobbed continuously.

The Roman’s eye uncontrollably twitched.

“Girls?” A fourth person interrupted, unknowingly saving everyone from unleashing HellSica. 

At the voice, Taeyeon looked up and automatically beamed, then greeted: “Chiron!” 

The girl detached herself from the ground, bits of soil still stuck to her forehead, and jumped into the Centaur’s open arms.

Chiron chuckled fondly. “I’ve missed you too, child.” 

After Taeyeon, he went straight to Jessica, the blonde girl shyly greeting him. The Centaur smiled warmly before patting the blonde’s head gently. His gaze finally landed on the third and last person. The little girl Taeyeon and Jessica were tasked to escort to camp only stood still, mouth ajar and eyes full of fright, as if she was contemplating whether she had a chance to run away or not.

“Y-You… you’re,” Wendy stammered. “You’re half human… a-and half—”

“—Horse. Yes,” Chiron finished for her. “I’m a Centaur, dear girl.”

“A Centaur… right,” Wendy said, on the verge of fainting.

Taeyeon winced, wishing she did a better job in easing Wendy into all of… _this._ Thank the gods on Olympus for Chiron and his experience with orienting new demigods and preventing further meltdowns.

While Wendy shot a thousand questions and Chiron patiently answered, Jessica shakily reached out and held onto Taeyeon’s elbow. “Tae—” 

“Sica?! Hey, you okay?” She was practically carrying half of the Roman’s weight now.

“Y-Yeah. Just a little tired,” Jessica weakly answered. “And really, really sleepy,” she ended with a yawn. 

Taeyeon smiled softly at the girl resting in her arms. It wasn’t a surprise that the blonde would be as exhausted as she was. What with the battle and shadow travelling she did the entire day. It probably took a hard toll on her physique. 

The activities director took notice and urged everyone to get inside the barriers lest they attracted more _vampires,_ as Wendy eloquently called the monsters that attacked her earlier.

With a grunt, Taeyeon propped the other girl’s light body into her arms, ready to carry her back to her cabin for a well-deserved rest. 

The daughter of Zeus had little time to acknowledge every single camper who welcomed her back. She could only curtly smile back as she dashed straight to her cabin, promising to catch up with everyone else later on.

Once inside the room, she finally sighed in relief before discharging the sleeping girl onto the mattress. As she was about to stand up, the arms that were wrapped around her neck didn’t disentangle and instead kept her in position. Which was her leaning down at an awkward angle on the edge of the bed.

“Sica?” she softly questioned. “Everything alright?”

The Roman giggled. “Even after all these years, you’re still not used to being popular, aren’t you?” 

Taeyeon couldn’t deny the statement. It was true. Saving the world more than once was obviously not a small feat. For a time-being, the name on everyone’s lips was _Taeyeon._

She never did get used to it. She probably never would.

“You know how much I hate the attention.”

“I do. You’re just like my little sister,” her voice was raspy.

Taeyeon chuckled at the comparison. She thought it was the end to their short discussion but Jessica’s arms had yet to let Taeyeon go.

“Sica?”

“Mmm?”

“My back is starting to hurt.”

Instead of letting go, Jessica tightened her hold. “Stay.”

 _So that was why…_ Taeyeon smiled to herself. 

“I would love to, but we still have a new demigod to attend to. Remember Wendy? You know, as short as you, equally blonde hair, just a shade lighter?” she joked.

Jessica delivered a half-hearted slap to her arm. 

“I know who Wendy is, thank you very much. And she’s as short as _you,_ not me. Also, last I checked, Chiron was already doing a great job in enlightening our new recruit.”

“I know. But he would still want a short briefing on everything that transpired. And you, in particular, are in need of a good rest. I can’t imagine how exhausting it was to shadow travel two other people after battling the Empousa.”

“You’re talking about how I practically hard-carried us all, right?”

It was Taeyeon’s turn to roll her eyes, a tick she unconsciously took in from the blonde. 

“Yes, yes. Thank you for saving us, _oh great Jung.”_

Jessica gave a satisfied smile without opening her eyes. 

“You’re still not letting me go, Jung.”

“Stay,” she repeated. “At least until I fall asleep. Please?” 

How could Taeyeon ever deny her. Even without answering, she already moved to lie on the bed right next to Jessica. The other girl immediately cuddled closer, leaning her head on Taeyeon’s chest.

“Okay.” 

In just a few minutes, Taeyeon soundlessly slipped out of the Zeus cabin and back into the open camp. She had just a second of respite before her small body was tackled almost into the ground in the middle of a meditating inhale.

“Taeyeonie is back!” her longest (partly in the literal sense) friend shouted. If half the camp didn't know that already, well now they do. 

“Sshh! Keep your voice down. You’re going to wake Jessica up!” Taeyeon chastised, trying to cover the girl’s mouth.

The other girl easily lowered her hand. “Pfft... you do know your girl sleeps like the dead, right?” 

“Oh shut up,” she said with a light blush on her cheeks at the teasing remark.

“Wow, not even an _I’ve missed you, Sooyoung. How are you, Sooyoung? Have you grown even prettier the past months, Sooyoung?_ Which, by the way, yes, yes I have.”

“What about a _get the fuck off me, Sooyoung.”_ Taeyeon struggled to get out of the taller girl’s hold, but to no avail.

Sooyoung simply cackled as Taeyeon gave a pout in return. She actually did miss the Aphrodite girl the most during the school year they were separated but she was already at a disadvantage at the moment and didn’t want to give Sooyoung even more leverage.

“Awwhh… I missed you the most too, Taeyeonie. Well, second to me, I guess. Wait, you can miss yourself, right?” 

“What in the…” 

_Did I say that outloud?_

“Yes, you did.”

Taeyeon would have believed her friend if Sooyoung didn’t have that sly gleam in her eye. Not to mention the irritating, self-assured smirk on her face too.

“Oh, come on. You love my smirk! You even tried so hard to copy it!”

How did she?... And then it clicked.

“Yah! Didn’t we agree that using charmspeak on me was prohibited?” 

A second of guilt flashed across Sooyoung’s face but that was enough to confirm it for Taeyeon. She should have known. Although she was aware of her best friend’s ability, it was still powerful enough to catch her off-guard at times. Hell, Sooyoung was able to charmspeak an actual god once. The seemingly innocuous linguistic ability was mostly innate in children of Aphrodite but she’s never seen it this nonbreakable in other demigods before.

It was powerful enough that she couldn’t even recall Sooyoung giving the command earlier.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that!” Sooyoung playfully pinched Taeyeon’s cheek. “It was the only way I could think of to make you actually say what you felt _aloud.”_

A sigh. “Fine,” she grumbled. “But I’m still serious about our promise, Sooyoung-ah.”

“I know, I know.” Sooyoung positioned her hand on top of her chest, where her heart rested. “Clause No. Four of the Soo-Tae-Ny Blood Pact, Series 2007: The use of powers and magical abilities against each other is prohibited, and can only be used during life or death situations.”

The seemingly light reminder of their childhood inevitably flashed an image Taeyeon wanted purged from her mind for eternity. The memory spinned out of control, unable to hold it back. The echo still vividly clear; a curse. One she lived through every single day seven years later.

_Sooyoung was dead._

_Her body ailing on Taeyeon’s arms. Almost as if she felt the actual life flowing out. Never in Taeyeon’s existence, ever since she found out she was a demigod, never did she feel this… powerless and utterly useless._

_“No, Soo—” She lightly tapped on the pale girl’s cheek. “Yah, Choi Sooyoung. Wake up, damn it.”_

_“TaeTae…” A trembling voice. Then a hand clutched onto her shoulder, urging her to stop the futile feat._

_“No, Tiff— She can’t be… We promised,” a choke ripped out from her throat, “...We promised each other, Fany-ah.”_

_“I know, TaeTae.” Her hold tightened. “Please move away,” voice unerringly stern._

_“Wha— Fany—” she was now face-to-face with her other best friend. She could see the wanton resolve in the other girl’s honey-colored eyes. Gone was the bright, sunshine eye smile she was used to. It was like she could read her plan so clearly. “No— no! I won’t allow you to do that, Miyoung.”_

_“That’s not for you to decide, Taeyeon-ah.”_

_Tears involuntarily flowed down her cheeks. There was nothing Taeyeon could do. Once again, she was rendered useless._

_She cursed everything. The world, the gods, her own father. What use was there in being the daughter of the most powerful god if she couldn’t save any of the people she cared for? Then she cursed herself._

_“Miyoung…” she whimpered out. “Please…”_

_“I’m so sorry.” Tiffany knelt in front of Taeyeon, linking their foreheads together. “I’m going to fulfill a promise but break another one.”_

_“Don’t—” another choking sob, “don’t leave me, Miyoung.”_

_“And one shall perish by a parent’s hand.”_

_“No. Stop…”_

_“That’s how the prophecy goes, Taeyeon.” Tiffany’s smile was too heartbreaking. “I think we both get it now. I can save Sooyoung. No,” she backtracked, “I will save Sooyoung.”_

_Why… why were the Fates so cruel?_

_Tiffany pushed Taeyeon’s head slightly lower, before depositing one last kiss on her forehead._

_“Live, Kim Taeyeon.”_

Her recollection was ungracefully cut short as Sooyoung cupped her face, forcefully making Taeyeon look straight into her best friend’s stormy eyes. 

“Don’t go there, Taeyeon-ah. We’re safe. I’m safe, _alive,”_ the taller girl punctuated every word, especially the end.

“Syoung…” She could feel the hot tears burning behind her eyelids. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, you _pabo._ You did nothing wrong.”

“But I—”

“Ah, ah,” Sooyoung tutted. “Clause No. Nine. What is it, Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon had to wrack her brain there a bit, not expecting the question. Once she remembered, a small, but sincere smile broke free.

She did the same gesture Sooyoung did earlier before stating, “All three parties are dutifully bound to protect each other... in life and death.”

It was actually Tiffany herself who wrote that section. One they would all carry with themselves whichever part of the world they ended up in. 

“Gods of Olympus. Thinking about it now, why does it sound like a marriage contract instead?”

“You’ll have to ask eleven year-old us for that.” 

Sooyoung offered a wistful smile. “No need. Time travel is an inconvenience I refuse to take part in.”

“You mean you’re just lazy, right?” 

The Aphrodite Head Counselor just laughed wholly in reply, then slung her arm over Taeyeon’s shoulders, pulling her into the direction of the Big House. 

“Don’t let that Roman Praetor kid hear you. I swear, it’s like I could still hear the ghost of her nagging even all the way here.”

“Oh come on. Juhyun’s a great kid.”

“She is, but don’t tell her I said that.”

The short trek to the Big House didn’t weigh as much as it used to as Taeyeon listened to every single one of Sooyoung’s epic-worthy tales during their time apart. The smiles on their faces were impossible to erase.

-

“Any more questions?” Chiron kindly asked, his half equine form concealed by a magical wheelchair. He looked so much like a normal mortal being this way.

Wendy has probably already shot hundreds of queries in just the past hour, and thankfully, the Centaur stayed patient the whole time. She couldn’t say the same about the camp’s director, Mr. D. She was quick-witted enough to recognize the shift in atmosphere during his arrival, signifying Mr. D’s eminence in spite of his external form. Chiron confirmed it for her once Mr. D announced his leave because— _You two are going to bore me to death._

It took a lot of effort for Wendy to keep in a laugh at the indirect joke. Because, hello? Boredom killing an immortal deity? 

Anyway, back to the situation at hand. Wendy’s pretty sure she should be commended by now for not being reduced into an anxious bundle of nerves even from everything she’s heard so far. Apparently, that group of giant dogs she saw when she was six during a school field trip? A pact of Lycans! Her grumpy middle-school math teacher? Possibly one of the three Furies! 

Although, as grumpy as Ms. Meg was, Wendy couldn’t remember a time when her math teacher actually tried to put her in harm’s way. Ridiculous as it sounds, Ms. Meg was the only teacher who closely put effort into pushing Wendy’s academic abilities; no matter how much the numbers swam around in her head.

Or she was just being biased. Ms. Meg was one gorgeous woman after all. In other words: her weakness.

And back to the questions. Wendy had one last burning inquiry for the legendary trainer.

“Chiron. Do you possibly…” an unconscious lip bite ”...know who my divine parent is?”

It took a beat before he answered, “No.” Wendy could spot the blatant lie but decided not to comment. “We’ll find out once they claim you. But for now, I think it’s best that you settle down in camp first.”

One look outside the window and Wendy could make out the orange hue of the setting sun. She didn’t realize how late it was until then. Chiron guided her back out of the Big House. There on the porch sat Taeyeon and two other girls Wendy hasn’t met yet.

“Hey there!” Taeyeon greeted. “How’d it go? I hope Chiron here didn’t bore you too much.”

“Oh. No! None of that,” she hastily answered. “Chiron’s been very accommodating and patient with me. I’m grateful.”

“And I can say the same about Wendy,” Chiron commended. “Unlike a certain child of lightning, Wendy actually _listens_ to my boring history lessons.”

“Alright, alright. You got me there. Now can we please let Yoona escort Wendy to the Hermes’ cabin already? She’ll need all the rest.”

At Wendy’s confused expression, one of the unfamiliar girls spoke up. “New kids are housed at Hermes until they’re claimed. Patron god of travellers and whatnot.”

“Ah, I see. I suppose you’re Yoona-sunbaenim then?” Wendy innocently asked.

“Yoon— wait, what? No, my name is Sooyoung. This doe-eyed girl over here is Yoona, Hermes’ head counselor.” The girl, Sooyoung, pointed to the second stranger. One look and it took all of Wendy’s will not to blatantly gawk at this girl. 

“Oh my, Sunbaenim, I would have easily mistaken you as a daughter of Aphrodite if I hadn’t known. Please forgive my blunder,” she quickly bowed to Yoona whose eyes widened before biting onto her knuckle, barely stifling her laughter.

“Yah!” Sooyoung indignantly called out. “Did you just assume _I_ was the Hermes’ kid?” she directed at Wendy.

“Uh-uhm… No, no. That wasn’t my intention at all Sunbaenim,” she fretfully explained.

“I cannot believe this. If you must know, _kid,_ I’m the Aphrodi— Yah, Kim Taeyeon, where are you taking me?!” 

Wendy wasn’t able to hear more as Taeyeon dragged the unwilling Sooyoung away, leaving behind a befuddled Wendy and two other individuals chortling away.

“Welcome to Camp Halfblood, Wendy-ssi,” Yoona said as she continued to watch the amusing pair go farther and farther away.

It wasn’t evident at first, but now, Wendy could spot the sign that the older girl was truly a child of the messenger of the gods. Yoona’s eyes possessed a certain glint full of mischief and mirth despite her angelic-looking face. The phrase _‘Do not judge a book by its cover’_ never resonated so much within Wendy until now.

Her curiosity with who her immortal parent just grew tenfold. All her early theories on who it could be banished right then and there. Nothing was just truly as it ever seems. 

Something compelled her to look up, making her say a silent prayer to the heavens. She should have known it was a plea in the wrong direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got longer than planned all because I had too much fun writing about their silly interactions. Things are slowly unravelling and yet even more questions arise as well.
> 
> You can shoot me any question or reaction or anything you want via comments or twitter (@reallybadYR).


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